How Safe Are Sunbeds?

It has been known for many years that sunbeds aren't the healthiest of beauty treatments but recent research has just seriously upped the ante. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) who have previously stated a probable link between skin cancer and tanning beds, have now upgraded the severity of the connection to a definite link.

As more and more of the younger generation are striving for the perfect tan and the popularity of tanning salons has soared, the agency warns that teens are putting themselves at as much as a 75 percent greater risk of forming melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. In fact the agency now compares the use of sunbeds to heavy smoking or exposure to asbestos and warns that there could even be a possible connection to the development of eye cancer.

These days there are fantastic alternatives available in the form of spray tans and creams that simulate perfectly the deep glow of summer vacation so why are teenagers and adults still unnecessarily put themselves at risk?

As if that was incentive enough, overuse of sunbeds is also prematurely aging for the skin especially around the delicate eye area where crows feet can appear. Cosmetic surgeons regularly see women who's skin has been damaged by excessive exposure to UV light and for them the only solutions are procedures such as facial peels (like as the Rubicon Moulding Mask), botox injections or in more extreme cases eye lift and face lift surgery.

Twins Spend £60K On Cosmetic Surgery To Look The Same

Cosmetic surgery fans and identical twins, Jo and Kerry Burton, 34, have made sure everyone continues to see double by having exactly the same cosmetic procedures done simultaneously.

The story in The Daily Mail revealed that the twins have invested a staggering £60,000 to enhance their looks, which started when they were 21 years old. When Jo decided to have a rhinoplasty, Kerry joined her so they could stay looking the same. From there they have progressed to breast enlargement, eye lift surgery, Botox injections and permanent make-up tattoos.

Before being operated on they even had to have their names written on their stomachs so the surgeon could tell them apart. The twins say they do everything together and would hate to look different, so they will continue to have the same surgery done.

For the full story in The Daily Mail click here

Botox to Relieve Foot Pain in Diabetics

Doctors in Taiwan may have discovered another use for botox besides the wide list of cosmetic and medical complaints it is already used for. In the past diabetics who have suffered chronic foot pain due to nerve damage as a result of their illness, have been offered very little relief. Now a team at Taipei Medical University may have found a way to alleviate at least some of the discomfort.

The study comprised of 18 Type 2 diabetics who were each asked at the start to rate their level of pain between 0-10 ,with the average result coming out at 6.36. The group were then split in two and half given botulinum toxin type A injections and half given saline. A few weeks into the study 12 were crossed over so that they were receiving the opposite treatment. The intradermal botox injections were placed in 12 sites across the top of the foot.

At the end of the 12 weeks, all those patients who had received botox had an average reduction in score of 2.53 points compared to 0.53 for those who solely had the saline injections. Within 12 weeks of the injections, 44 percent of the botox patients had reduced this further to 3 points less. An additional positive side effect was that they reported being able to sleep better (possibly because they were no longer in such pain).

This treatment is still in evaluation to discover optimum dosage and other related factors.

If you would be interested in botox injections to treat wrinkles click here.

Botox & Its' Many Uses

If you thought Botox was just to stop wrinkles, think again.

In an article on The Mirror.co.uk, Dr Miriam Stoppard revealed just how amazing this treatment derived from the one of the deadliest substance know to man is and how it is helping to transform the lives on more than just a purely aesthetic level.

In fact the list is extensive and only now is the benefits of botox really starting to come into its' own - from helping to control spasms in those with Parkinsons or stroke victims to improving symptoms of incontinence, excess sweating and relief from back pain, prostate problems and tension headaches.

Other purely cosmetic functions of botox are thought to be that it can lessen the effects of facial scarring if used during the healing process and could be a cure to hair loss. While this is still in the very early stages, the theory behind it is that botox relaxes the shrunken hair follicles which makes the blood vessels dilate and encourages nutrients to the area to help stimulate growth.

To read more about this article click here or to arrange an appointment to speak to a cosmetic surgeon about botox injections click here.